The present invention broadly relates to a new and improved construction of an apparatus for feeding cartridges from a drum magazine to a firing weapon.
Generally speaking, the cartridge feeding apparatus of the present invention comprises a drum-type magazine or drum magazine which is subdivided into a predetermined number of sectors. in each sector there is located a row of cartridges. A first conveyor or conveying means consecutively outwardly displaces or ejects the rows of cartridges from the sectors of the drum-type magazine. A second conveyor or conveying means is provided for conveying the cartridges which have been displaced or ejected from the sectors of the drum-type magazine, to the firing weapon. Rotary drive means are provided for rotating the drum-type magazine in a predetermined rotational direction. Each one of the sectors of the drum-type magazine thus arrives at a removal or ejection location during rotation of the drum-type magazine in the predetermined rotational direction. Each row of cartridges is outwardly displaced or ejected in a predetermined direction from the sector which is located at the removal or ejection location. The first conveyor or conveying means is arranged at a predetermined inclination and this inclination is determined as the resultant formed by the predetermined rotational direction of the drum-type magazine and the predetermined direction in which the cartridges are outwardly displaced or ejected from the sectors of the drum-type magazine. A return or reverse movement blocking device is arranged between the first conveyor or conveying means and the second conveyor or conveying means in order to prevent cartridges from dropping into the already emptied sectors of the drum-type magazine.
In a cartridge feed apparatus of this type as known, for example, from the commonly assigned European Patent Publication No. 0,111,780, published June 27, 1984 and its cognate U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,325, granted May 20, 1986, the subject matter of which is herein incorporated by reference, the return or reverse movement blocking device is formed by a slide member possessing a throughpass opening for the cartridges ejected from the sectors of the drum-type magazine. The return or reverse movement blocking device further possesses a deflection member or deflector by means of which the cartridges are directed into individual receiving members or cradles of a conveyor chain of the second conveyor or conveying means. In another construction of this prior art apparatus the return or reverse movement blocking device is formed by pivotable flaps which are linked to the ejection end of guide rails of the drum-type magazine. The flaps open during ejection of the cartridges but prevent the cartridges from dropping back into the sectors of the drum-type magazine.
This known system and the first embodiment as well as the second embodiment thereof have the disadvantage of not operating sufficiently reliably at high firing cadences or rates of the firing weapon, so that all types of malfunctions, faults and other problems are caused.